This season’s low-till trial

We’re getting started on a trial for a “low-till” study we are working on with WSU this season. No-till and low-till farming are a means of preserving the complex web of microscopic life by keeping the soil intact, conserving water, reducing CO2 emissions, and suppressing weeds – if done correctly. Reduced tillage has been gaining some popularity in the sustainable agriculture community in recent years. It has been successfully practiced with large-scale grain crops, but there is a lot of work to be done to make this practice work on smaller-scale mixed vegetable farms.

These techniques are in line with our ecological approach to agriculture, and we are excited to have access to the required equipment by participating in this project. We are planting our summer squash in a low-till system this season and will measure its success with the help of WSU soil scientists. More on this later in the season as we see what happens.

WSU soil scientist Doug Collins inspects mowed cover crop at Oxbow.

We’re capturing interesting moments this season and sharing them here to help you learn where your food comes from. Follow Story of a Season on our blog or on Instagram with #storyofaseason.

Our mission is to educate people on the importance of environmental stewardship and healthy food, to reconnect us to the land and our local sustainable food supply, and to inspire us to take action in our daily lives and in our communities.